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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. ground — a position
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. mate — a partner
  5. field — a subject
  6. mate — to breed
  7. field — for sport
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. press — a publisher
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. press — newspapers
  13. deal — to handle
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. ground — crushed
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. field — farmland
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. mate — a friend
  22. press — to push
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. ground — the earth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com